Soap Bubbles

bubbles made by blowing into a film of soapy water. Blowing soap bubbles is an interesting and fascinating pastime. The best results are obtained by using rainwater, or, at least, water free from lime. Any good soap will do. Castile soap is excellent. The soap and water should be whipped until bubbles cover the suds. A few drops of glycerine make the bubbles tougher. A clean clay pipe is best. The operator dips the pipe into the suds in such a way that on lifting it a film is spread across the lip of the bowl. There should be no suds in the bowl. By blowing through the stem with care, the film will stretch and assume a spherical shape. If thrown off from the pipe, the hole in the bubble is closed by the elasticity of the film and the bubble will float away, or fall to the floor. A strong bubble will bounce on reaching the floor or roll about like a toy balloon. As soon as the film becomes too thin by loss of moisture through evaporation, the bubble bursts into spray. By being satisfied with small bubbles at first, a little practice will enable a learner to blow bubbles several inches in diameter. A handful of foam caught and held between the hands may be blown into a large bubble.

Many other substances, as hydrogen, illuminating gas, and melted glass, may be blown into bubbles. Hydrogen makes the lightest bubble known. Melted resin may be blown into bubbles that retain their shape on cooling. Soap-bubbles have been made the subject of no little scientific investigation. A Mr. Boys, an English scientist, became so expert that he was able to blow two bubbles, one within the other. The thickness of the ordinary film before bursting has been computed at 1/21980 of an inch.

See Glass